It is known that a photovoltaic semiconductor p-n junction can convert to electricity only that portion of the incident photon energy spectrum, typically solar radiation, which creates hole-electron pairs within a given semiconductor material. For example, in a silicon photovoltaic cell only that portion of the solar spectrum with energy in the vicinity of the 1.1 electron volts per photon band gap is converted into electricity. Photons of lesser energy are not absorbed at all. More energetic photons are strongly absorbed and are wasted in the heating the cell, which heat can degrade the cell's energy conversion efficiency. To maximize the efficiency of a given photovoltaic cell, it is advantageous to convert as much of the available light as possible into an energy range to which such cell can respond in the generation of electricity before the light strikes the cell's surface.
One technique for achieving such a conversion takes advantage of the fact that light falling upon a luminescent agent is characteristically re-radiated or emitted in a narrow band of wavelengths of known energy content. Also, light absorbed by such an agent from one direction is re-emitted in many directions. Such agents include, for example, pigments such as metal oxides and organic dyes which are used in scintillation counters, lasers, and the like. For the purpose of this invention, the term "luminescent agent" includes all types of luminescent agents exhibiting all species of luminescence, including, but not limited to, fluorescence and phosphorescence.
It has been shown that the dispersal of a luminescent agent within an internally reflective sheet of transparent glass or plastic, one of whose major surfaces is exposed to light, concentrates and focuses a flux of light of known energy level toward one or more of the thin upstanding edge faces of the sheet. If a photovoltaic cell responsive to light at that energy level is optically coupled to such edge face, the energy conversion efficiency of the cell increases several times. In this invention a light transmissive member of such construction and properties is termed a "luminescent member " and a photovoltaic solar collector employing such a member is termed a "luminescent solar collector". A luminescent solar collector of this type is fully and completely disclosed in Optics, Vol. 15, No. 10, pages 2299 - 2300, dated October, 1976, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Heretofore the prior art devices have not been highly efficient for the collection of low angle incoming (incident) light.